Digging Deep
by MaggieMayI
Summary: "That might be the only good thing that came from this whole mess – a chance to start over, to become better people than we were before." The growth of Hal and Maggie's characters and their relationship through seasons one and two. An episode by episode exploration.
1. Live and Learn

To celebrate the end of two seasons of Falling Skies, I'm writing this hiatus story while doing a series re-watch. Each chapter of the story will coincide with one of the episodes and will feature before/during, during/after, or before/during/after aspects of one scene involving Hal, Maggie or the pair together (will be from either or both of their POV's and may not always directly relate to their relationship). Knowing where they are at the end of season two, I thought it'd be fun to go back and explore who they are and how they got to the point they are at now. The thoughts/conversations will expand upon the general storyline. I don't plan on straying far from what the show has established, instead I'll be taking some creative liberties with the storyline we've been given.

The first chapter starts with the pilot. I haven't picked out the scenes I'll be doing for each episode yet (will contemplate each scene as I do the re-watch), so if you have any requests/suggestions please let me know…I'll do my best to fit them in!

As always, thanks for reading!

* * *

**Chapter 1 - "Live and Learn"**

"I can't thank you enough for what you did back there," Tom said to Hal as they marched on.

"It was nothing Dad," Hal responded, shrugging off the birthday gift to his brother.

"No, it wasn't nothing," Tom said as he stopped Hal with a hand on his shoulder. "So much has been going on lately and I… your mom was always the one who…"

Hal could see the grief in his father's eyes. The last thing he wanted to do was upset him.

"Dad, I know how much you have on your plate right now and Matt just doesn't understand yet. I was just trying to help."

"You did so much more than that Hal," Tom responded. "Did you see how happy he was?"

Hal couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah"

"For a few minutes he got to be a kid again. You did that." Tom said.

Hal smiled as they continued walking.

"There is so much of her in you, you know that?" Tom asked.

"Probably just her way of keeping you in check even when she's not here," Hal joked.

Tom laughed.

It wasn't the first time Hal had been told that he looked and acted like his mother, but when it came from his father, especially now, it really made him feel connected to her.

She always did know how to make a bad situation better, and to make a good situation great. She gave everything she had to her family—Hal hadn't realized how much until she'd been taken from them. And for a while he'd been so angry. Angry about her death, angry that Ben had been harnessed, angry that no matter what they did, the aliens always seemed to be right there waiting for them.

But somewhere between spotting Ben with the group of harnessed kids and the skitter attack in the supply store, it had finally fully sunk in. Their fight for survival wasn't just about simply surviving. They were fighting to get their lives back.

He'd given Matt such a hard time about celebrating his birthday earlier because at the time he wondered how birthday's could still matter when you could be killed at any moment. So many times he'd overheard members of the 2nd Mass talking about their lives before the attack. Hal had always wondered what the point was, but now he knew. To preserve their way of life, they needed to remember. And in order to remember they needed a reminder every now and then of how it was before.

So when he spotted the ripstick outside the supply store, Hal didn't think twice. He scooped it up and threw it into the truck with the rest of their supplies.

"So what do I owe you for the skateboard?" Tom asked.

"Ripstick, dad. It's called a ripstick." Hal laughed. "Got anything sweet?"

Tom fished a stick of gum out of his pocket and handed it to Hal. "My last one, " he said. "It's all yours."

"How about we split it," Hal suggested.

"Deal."

Hal opened the gum and ripped it, handing half to his father. He let the sugar melt on his tongue, savoring the sweetness, before chewing.

Would they ever be able to chew gum again whenever they wanted? Would they ever be able to celebrate birthdays normally again? Hal didn't know. But he had to believe they would.


	2. The Armory

**Chapter 2 – "The Armory"**

It had been 47 minutes.

Her old self would have been pacing by now. Back and forth. Filling the empty night with echoing footfalls. Maggie never used to be one for standing still—for waiting. It had always seemed like a waste of time.

Maybe because it had been a part of her everyday life for so long. Waiting for her prognosis. Waiting for test results. Waiting for treatment. Waiting to die. At first it was like a game. She'd sit in the hard, plastic waiting room chair—disparity all around her in the form of bald heads and broken dreams—and guess as to that days delivery method.

Would it be one doctor or two? Would they cross their arms in front of their chests? Stroke their chins as they contemplated their words? How many times would they click and unclick their ballpoint pen? Would they look her straight in the eye, or stare off at some spot on the wall. Would their sympathy be real or would fake smiles be plastered on their faces?

Her guesses were always spot on. Mostly because she could feel it—the silent invader that had taken over her body. Taken away her choices. Taken away her chances. Drained her of her energy and her will to fight. She didn't need to wait anymore because the answers were already in her head. So she started to move.

She let her feet take her wherever they wanted to go. There was no rhyme or reason to the twists and turns she took through those sterile halls, and before long she knew them like the back of her hand.

And when she was upgraded from waiting room purgatory to hospital room hell, movement became her saving grace. Maggie never thought she'd see the day when a gun shot wound to the chest coming through the ambulance bay doors would be a welcome relief from the hallowed eyes and too pale skin of the kids clogging up the cancer ward. But that became her reality.

Then came remission. She didn't trust it. With three surgeries under her belt, the cookie cutter life she returned to just didn't measure up. So still she moved, heading in any direction, not caring which. Her life became a daze of hunting for that next fix. It wasn't until those beautiful baby blue eyes blinked in her direction that her wake up call kicked in. She vowed that when she got out of prison, she'd turn her life around.

The alien invasion put a damper in her plans. 'Rehabilitated' or not, she was set free ahead of schedule. She returned home, thinking she'd find the family she left behind, maybe mend the broken pieces of her former life, but they were gone. Everyone was gone.

Alone and without a destination in mind she kept moving. That was when Pope and his gang snatched her.

At first she tried to escape, but they always found her. From making bread to building bullets and bombs, Pope had a knack for this alien invasion survival stuff. Tracking came as easy to him as cootie killing. Maggie learned fast to stay put and to never draw unnecessary attention to herself. The less she moved, the less they noticed her.

She mastered hiding in plain sight. Which was probably why Pope eventually sent her to scout. When she came across the community now identified as the Second Massachusetts, she was surprised to see such a civilized group of individuals. She was also surprised to see the amount of firepower they possessed. Deep down, part of her wished she'd come across a group such as this before Pope grabbed her, but who had time for wishful thinking. Pope would eat up this intel—and good intel meant Maggie was left alone.

So here they were, trading guns for lives and Maggie was antsy because the clock was ticking and the kid still hadn't returned with the 50 cal.

"You could join us."

His words came back to her. Maggie figured it was just an offbeat attempt to get her to help him, that when it came down to it, his group would never accept someone like her. But he'd struck a nerve nonetheless.

If only she could join them, but Pope was smart. He rarely acted like it, but Maggie knew he was always aware of what was going on around him. There were too many of his gangbangers and not enough bullets in her gun to overpower them. No matter where she went, they'd find her. She'd accepted that. Just like she'd accepted that this new lease on life was nothing but a punishment for past crimes. It was naïve of her to think she'd get out of her mess of a life scot-free.

She just hoped this would all go smoothly—the last thing she needed was for the situation to get any worse.

As she stifled the urge to pace yet again, she heard footfalls. Footfalls? Where was that damn car?

"Where is she?" A female voice cut through the air.

"I don't know," the kid responded.

This was not good. The stupidity of this kid was going to get them all killed. "Where's the 50?" Maggie asked as she stepped out from her hiding place.

The pair turned towards the sound of her voice.

"I'm a doctor. I understand one of your men is badly wounded."

Maggie sized her up. They didn't bring the 50, but at least they brought something. Billy would eat this one alive. That is if they let her live.

"I take you there you may never leave." Maggie said. Because it was the truth.

"It's all we've got."

Maggie understood their desperation. Why wouldn't they do whatever they could to hang onto what they had left. Once upon a time Maggie possessed that fighting spirit. It was long gone now, but that didn't mean she didn't understand it. It was stupid. But understandable.

"Put these on your heads and let's go," Maggie said as she handed black bags to both of them. "Time's a-tickin'."

Pointing her gun at their backs she led them back through the tunnel.

* * *

When they reached the school Maggie guided them through the empty hallways, opened the auditorium door and pushed them through.

"Oh this does not look like it is going to make me very happy."

Understatement of the century Maggie thought as she pushed them down the aisle.

"You tell me you have that GTO in the parking lot or I am going to be VERY disappointed." Pope bellowed.

Maggie pulled the bags off their heads. Better to let them do the explaining.

"I'm a doctor. I might be able to help your brother," the woman said.

"What kind of doctor?" Pope asked.

"The only one you've got," the woman said while motioning to Billy who was laying on the stage. "Is that him?" she asked.

Maggie flinched as Pope grabbed for the woman. But she settled when she realized it was just her bag he was after. After a thorough search he found only medical supplies, so he let her go.

"If I fix him, will you let us leave?" the woman asked.

Maggie had to laugh at that one. God these people really were naïve.

"If you fix him I'll let you live." Pope sneered as he pushed her towards the stage.

* * *

Maggie was tasked with keeping an eye on the captives while the doctor tried to fix Billy. They were a quiet bunch. At least they were smart enough to keep their mouths shut. Pope would use any and all intel he gained against them at the first opportunity. She was glad she didn't have anything to report.

Like the captured bunch Maggie too wondered about the fate of Billy. For them, his life was their lifeline. For Maggie, she would gladly welcome his death. Guys like Billy didn't deserve to live, but in the world they now had, it seemed that his type was always the one to survive. Which was why Maggie wasn't at all surprised when he woke up.

Billy roused from his drug-induced slumber, confused and disoriented. "Ahhh, what happened?"

"Easy, easy, easy," Pope said, trying to calm his brother. "Dr. Quinn medicine woman stitched up your artery, she stopped the bleeding. You're gonna be okay."

Maggie led the captives back into their seats, wondering what their fates held for them, and for her.

"Where you going?" Billy asked, watching as the group assembled their weapons, making ready to lead an attack.

"We're gonna rob the Second Massachusetts," Pope explained to his brother. "You're going to sit this one out."

"What are you kidding?" Billy asked. Maggie had no doubt that he'd get right up on that leg just for the chance to take some innocent lives.

"I'm leaving you Maggie and Cue Ball. If anyone tries anything, pop'em," Pope said, an attempt to placate his brother.

"You know me, eh?" Billy chuckled. Maggie shivered at this. Yeah, they all knew him. Too well. A man so adept at killing wouldn't blink an eye at the chance to trade shooting humans for cooties.

"Yeah that's why I'm leaving Maggie and Cue Ball, so you don't do it just for laughs."

"That's no fun!" Billy yelled as they retreated.

Maggie settled in. Billy was right. This was going to be anything but fun.

* * *

Not five minutes had passed before Billy got bored.

"Get up" Billy said. Maggie could see he was eying up the young blonde they'd captured.

"He's talking to you" Maggie said, lifting her gun towards their captive.

"I said, GET UP!" Billy yelled.

The girl rose slowly.

"That's it. Now turn around…I wanna see what we got."

The girl started to turn slowly.

Maggie couldn't help but wince. She was a prime piece, that's for sure. And for a split second she considered that this girl could easily take her place as their go-to, get down to business gal.

But the thought instantly sickened Maggie. No one deserved that. Not her. Not this scared little girl turning circles in front of them.

The disgust rose in Maggie's throat. Her stomach clenched just thinking about what would come next.

"Look at you. You are a pretty one," Billy continued. "We're gonna have ourselves a good time you know that."

Maggie snapped.

"Hey, is Billy going to live?" she asked the doctor as she stood up.

"What?" Anne responded. Maggie just stared her down. "Yes, if he doesn't get infected."

Billy looked at Maggie confused, "what are you asking her that…"

She took aim without thinking, shot Billy in the chest. She turned, a second shot rang out and Cue Ball went down before he even knew what hit him.

Maggie felt…nothing. No anger. Surprisingly, no hatred. No remorse. She was numb. But they were safe. She may not be able to save herself from Pope, but at least she can give these people a fighting chance.

Then she heard the silence. No one spoke. No one moved. They'd probably already formed their opinions of her. Of course a member of Pope's gang wouldn't think twice about killing someone. But that wasn't who Maggie was and she figured they should at least know why she did what she did.

"After they grabbed me three months ago, Billy…Let's just say he deserved to die," Maggie offered. "Cue Ball thought he was better because he brought chocolate. He wasn't."

Her statement was met with continued silence and looks of utter disbelief.

Maggie shook her head with a frustrated laugh, put away her gun and moved towards Tom. She uncuffed him then turned around and headed back towards the steps. He uncuffed the rest of the group.

"We need to move fast," Tom said. "We need to try and catch them before they reach the 2nd Mass."

The group headed towards the door. Maggie, with her elbows resting on her knees and her head in her hands, didn't move a muscle. When Pope finds out what she's done, she'll be toast. So much for getting her life back.

"You know the offer still stands." She lifted her head at the sound of his voice and stared at him. This boy that seemed so confident yet oozed innocence. "You can join us if you want to."

Maggie saw they had all stopped to see what Hal was up to. She looked each of them in the eye then, and acknowledged their silent nods. Maybe there was a card to play here after all. They seemed pretty intent on keeping Pope away from the 2nd Mass, maybe they could keep him away from her too.

"Sure, why not," she said as she rose from the steps once more.

She fell in line and they headed back towards the 2nd Mass.


	3. Prisoner of War

**Chapter 3 – "Prisoner of War"**

Maggie watched as they reached in for a spoonful of Pope's meal.

"Well don't everybody thank me at once," Pope said, anticipating their reactions.

"It's good," Lourdes offered.

Kate added, "It's not bad, considering…"

"Considering what?" asked Uncle Scott.

"Who made it," Maggie said while glaring at Pope. She couldn't believe that after everything he had done, to both her and the 2nd Mass, that Pope had not only managed his way out of lock up, but had them literally eating out of the palm of his hand. They had no idea what they were doing.

"Well, line up everybody," Uncle Scott shouted.

Maggie made her way to the table. He had everyone else fooled but things had changed. She was with the 2nd Mass now and she wanted Pope to know exactly what he could do with that ladle if he came anywhere near her.

But before she got the chance, Weaver stepped towards Pope.

"Gonna have some?" Pope asked Weaver.

"Serve them first," said Weaver. "Looks like you might be of some use to the 2nd Mass," he added.

"Yeah?" asked Pope.

"We'll give it a week," said Weaver.

"Does that mean I don't have to be locked up anymore?" asked Pope.

"It does not," responded Weaver. "Lock him up."

Maggie tried not to smile as she watched Pope being escorted out of the gym. He may have fooled some of these people, but Weaver was still skeptical. That would have to do, at least for now. But she'd still be sleeping with a gun in her hand.

Since she was in line anyway, Maggie grabbed some soup. She wasn't lying when she said the food wasn't bad. And it'd be good to have a decent meal.

With her bowl full, she made her way towards the tables on the far side of the gym. She'd been sitting in the same spot for most of her meals since she'd arrived, close enough that she could pick up on any signs of trouble, but far enough away that no one would pay any mind to her. She saw the way that people looked at her, especially the civilians. To them she was an outsider. And as rumor mills in small communities went, she could only imagine what was being said about her. Like she even cared. But until she proved herself, she figured it was smart to just stay on the outside of things.

Thus far her system had worked. She left them alone, and they left her alone. Until now. There was someone sitting in her seat.

She was debating on whether or not to comment on her visitor being on the wrong side of the tracks when she realized it was Hal. And he looked like hell.

Maggie'd heard from the guys on perimeter watch that he'd been found, but this was the first she'd seen of him.

Until she reached the table she wasn't even sure if he was awake. He had his elbows on the table, his head buried in his hands. He was still wearing the clothes he'd had on when they'd left for the mission the day before. He was covered in dirt and sweat.

Her bowl hitting the table across from where he was sitting startled him out of whatever trance he was in.

"Hey," she said, "mind if I join you?"

He lifted his head and she frowned at the faint tear streaks that ran down his cheeks. His eyes were empty, he looked totally lost. He was staring through her—like she wasn't even there.

"Hal."

He blinked. He shook his head and his eyes seemed to clear a bit. His gaze found hers and he finally realized there was someone standing in front of him.

"Maggie…uh…hey," he said, clearing his throat. "What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you that," she responded.

He looked at her, confused.

"You're in my seat," she offered.

Still nothing.

The joke lost on him she shook her head, and instead tried a different approach. "When's the last time you ate something?" She asked as she pulled out the chair across from him and sat down.

"Uh,"

"Here," she said, as she pushed her bowl in front of him. "Eat."

He looked down at the soup and back up at her.

"Just eat it, I'll get more in a minute," she offered, before he could object.

"Thanks," he said.

She watched him get a few bites down, but after the fourth or fifth he paused, once again taking on that vacant stare.

"Hey," she coaxed and his eyes met hers. "You okay?"

"Yeah, it's just…"

She watched his eyes cloud over. Maggie could only imagine what he had gone through. They'd been filled in on what had happened, but it was different now that she could see it in his eyes. Ironically, most of Maggie's troubles in this post alien invasion world had come in the form of humans. But to be face to face with a mech…to watch as it killed kids right in front of you…and to live…she had no idea what that must have been like.

"Hal, we're going to find them. Ben. And Karen. We'll get them back," she offered.

She didn't know what else to say. She didn't know anything about him or his family, or anyone else in the 2nd Mass for that matter. But whether he knew it or not he had saved her. He'd offered her a way out of her life with Pope and his gang. And she wanted to do what she could to repay him. If that meant helping him find the people he loved…well, she was all for it.

He offered her a half smile, nodded, and kept eating.

Just as he was finishing the soup, Matt showed up at the table.

"Hey Hal," he said. "Oh…hi Maggie."

She smiled at the tiniest Mason, who too was still a bit apprehensive around her.

"Hey buddy," Hal responded. "What's up?"

She watched his features brighten with the appearance of his little brother. She'd noticed that both of the Mason's were good at putting on a happy face for this kid, but this time Hal's smile was genuine. His ability to change his mood so abruptly was surprising to Maggie. After all he'd been through, to be able to put a smile on his face for his little brother; it definitely garnered some respect in Maggie's eyes. There was a hidden strength there. It made her wonder what else he might be capable of.

"I was eating with Anthony but we finished and Dad is checking on Rick and…" he paused, looked at Maggie, and then leaned in towards Hal, whispering, "and I didn't want to go to sleep by myself."

Hal smiled at Maggie then turned back towards Matt.

"You know what?"

"What?" Matt asked.

"I'm actually pretty tired. Thinking it's about time I bed down. What do you say?" he asked Matt.

"Okay," Matt said smiling.

Hal rose from the table and grabbed Matt's hand. Before they walked out, he turned back to her.

"Thanks for the soup Maggie."

She nodded and smiled and watched the Mason brothers walk out hand in hand. When they'd disappeared through the door, she grabbed the empty bowl and headed back up to the front of the gym.


	4. Grace

**Chapter 4 – "Grace"**

The smells wafting from the gym weren't nearly as appetizing as last nights feast of pasta and bread, but after his early morning patrol, Hal was ready to eat just about anything. As he walked into the gym, he noticed the lunch crowd was thinning out. Perfect timing, he thought. No refrigeration meant no leftovers, so if there happened to be extra, the stragglers usually got a bit more on their plate.

"How is it out there?" Uncle Scott asked as he filled Hal's plate with lima beans and rice.

"All quiet, at least for now," Hal responded.

"No news is good news, huh?" Scott said as he put an extra scoop of rice on Hal's plate.

"You got that right," Hal responded. "Thanks Scott," he added, smiling. He took his plate and made his way to a table nearby.

His current early morning patrol schedule meant that Hal usually ate lunch alone. Often he watched the kids playing in the gym while he ate. With so much going on outside, he sometimes forgot about everyone still in the school, relying on the fighters of the 2nd Mass to keep them safe. Today he watched as a mother congratulated her little girl on successfully tying her shoes. He didn't even know he was smiling until his father broke his revere.

"Did I miss something good?" Tom asked as he took the seat across from his son.

Hal shook his head, turning his attention towards his father. "I was just thinking about what Lourdes said last night," Hal explained. "How even after everything that's happened, we can still be thankful for the small things, the good things."

Tom nodded, agreeing. "Well in that case you'll be happy. We have something else to be thankful for."

"Oh yeah?" asked Hal.

"Last night Maggie pulled me aside and told me she may know of a couple of spots near here where we might be able to find the drugs we need to complete the de-harnessing procedures on Ben and the other harnessed kids,' explained Tom.

"Hospitals?"

"No," said Tom, "apparently before she joined us, Pope had Maggie scouting hospitals. She said they are all wiped clean within a 20-mile radius. I'd suggested expanding it to 30, but she said she had some intel on civilians that had access to drugs before the invasion. Intel she apparently never shared with Pope. And she thinks the drugs could still be there."

"Civilians? Like drug dealers?" asked Hal. He didn't know much about Maggie, almost nothing in fact, but she didn't strike him as the type that would be involved with drug dealers.

"I guess so," said Tom.

"So what's the plan?" asked Hal.

"She said she has a few different possible locations, but the stashes, if they are still there, won't be that large," Tom explained. "I informed Weaver and he said a team of two would be enough for the mission. We'd like you to go with Maggie and see what you can find."

"Sure dad," Hal said as he scooped up another forkful of rice. "When do we leave?"

"Tonight," Tom explained. "Grab some sleep. You're leaving at 8 p.m."

* * *

A few hours of sleep and a quick meal later, Hal made his way to the front of the school. Maggie was there on a bike already waiting for him. He handed her one of the two canvas bags he'd grabbed from the armory, strapped the other on his back and hopped onto a bike.

"Where to?" he asked.

"Follow me," she replied, and with that, took off.

Hal wouldn't exactly say he had a hard time keeping up with her, but she handled the bike like any seasoned rider. Her long blonde hair rippled off her shoulders as her increasing speed brought on the wind. He noticed that she looked more comfortable on that bike than she'd looked the entire time he'd known her.

She could ride better than almost everyone in the 2nd Mass, she had a precision shot, apparently knew where the local drug dealers kept their stash…for the first time Hal wondered just what she was all about.

Karen… Hal took a deep breath. He still had a hard time thinking about her… Karen wasn't unlike Maggie. She'd stepped up as a fighter, had proven her worth as a shooter and a scout. But Karen was forever the optimist. She always had a smile on her face; she always found the best in every situation. Hal loved that about her. She had a brightness and an innocence that lifted everyone around her.

Maggie… Maggie was a survivor. Hal could see it in her eyes; in the way she carried herself. She was always aware of what was going on around her. She was always on guard. She was tough. And she was smart. In the short time she'd been with the 2nd Mass, she'd helped them in more ways than one. Hal hoped she would stick around because the 2nd Mass sure could use her, especially with Karen being gone.

He stayed a few lengths behind her as one neighborhood gave way to another. Scattered leaves parted in the streets as they traversed block after block. As the leaves swept across the pavement, streets ghosting by, Hal couldn't help but be reminded of the fall nights he'd spent outside as a kid. He could almost hear the echoes of a pick-up hockey game under the glow of the streetlights, or shrieking laughter from some late night hide and go seek. Ben always managed to find the best hiding spots at night. Hal swore he was a chameleon at times, but he always found him. Just like he'd found him with the skitters. Hal just hoped this de-harnessing procedure would work. Ben had been gone so long, he didn't know what to expect if and when they finally got him back. His dad seemed so sure that Ben would be fine, but Hal saw how upset Mike was about Rick. He could tell that something wasn't quite right. What if the same thing happened to Ben?

The gear change in Maggie's bike ahead pulled Hal back to the present. She started to slow down, and as they approached a street on the left Hal took in his surroundings. The street they were turning onto was as non-descript as the rest. Houses all in a row, relatively untouched. If it weren't for darkened windows and doorsteps and abandoned cars strewn about, you'd hardly know aliens had even invaded the planet.

She turned into a driveway and cut her engine. Hal followed suit.

"Who lived here?" Hal asked as he got off his bike.

"Just this guy I knew," Maggie replied.

"Just this guy you knew?" Hal prodded.

"Yeah," Maggie said as she moved towards the front door.

Hal just shook his head. If there was one thing he was learning about Maggie, it was that she only told you what she wanted to tell you.

The front door was shut, but when Maggie reached for the handle, it easily gave way. Just as he went to unstrap his gun from his back she handed him one of her side arms. With guns in one hand and flashlights in the other, they both entered slowly.

Hal didn't know what to expect. After the initial invasion, the aliens had taken most of those that hadn't made it. To where and for what purpose, Hal didn't want to know. But every once in awhile they'd come across someone who'd hidden, who'd holed up in a home, a building or a store. The dead bodies didn't bother Hal so much, it was more the wondering how they died. Did they starve? Were they sick or injured? Did they simply give up? Hal hoped the house would be empty. So far so good.

"He kept his stash in here," Maggie said, motioning to a closed door at the end of a hallway. Hal followed her.

She opened the door, moving her flashlight slowly across the small space.

"Jackpot," Maggie said, and looked back at him with a smile. He couldn't help but return it. She had a pretty smile.

Hal entered behind her, barely making it into the room. It wasn't bigger than a decent sized walk in closet, and was mostly filled with stacked, empty plastic bins. But a four-tiered shelf in the corner couldn't have been a prettier site if it'd been wrapped up with a shiny red bow.

The top two shelves were filled with pill bottles. Each row had stickers in front marking what they were. Oxycodone, Demerol, Ecstasy, the list went on. The bottom two shelves were all bricks and bags. Some broken down, measured out, some still sealed. Cocaine, Marijuana, Heroin, Meth. You name it, it was there.

Jackpot indeed Hal thought as he handed Maggie her gun back. They started packing the stash into their bags. The pair worked quickly and in silence, him grabbing items from the shelf, her filling each bag evenly. They worked well together Hal thought as he grabbed the last of the bottles and passed them to Maggie. He noticed she was very methodical. Everything went in its place, nice and neat and organized. Hal was the same when it came to the few possessions he had left. Everything had its place, it was the best way for him to keep track of what was important. He liked that they were alike in that way.

With everything stowed, each of their bags was almost full. Hal picked up the bags and Maggie led the way out with her flashlight. Back in the driveway, he handed her a bag, they threw them on their backs and mounted their bikes.

"Dad said you knew of two places?" Hal asked as he revved his engine.

"Yeah," Maggie responded. "The other place isn't far. Might as well check it out."

"Lead the way," Hal said, and they took off into the night.

* * *

Maggie took the roads a little bit slower this time. She'd pushed it at first to see if Hal could keep up, and she was impressed that he was never far behind her. She didn't mind that Weaver had sent Hal with her to scout the meds, in fact she preferred it seeing as most of the other fighters still looked at her like she was going to shoot up the place at any moment, but she needed to see if he could handle himself should a situation arise where a quick getaway was required. She felt better knowing that she most likely wouldn't have to go back and save his ass if they were being chased by skitters or mechs—or drug dealers.

While she'd never admit it, her slower speed was also in part due to her apprehension. It was strange being back in this neighborhood. A place that held so many memories of a life she'd rather forget. But she'd face her ghosts head on if it meant helping the 2nd Mass.

Not that Hal would know the difference, but there was a reason why she'd chosen to go to the other house first. The guy who'd lived there, Kevin, she didn't really know what his deal was, but he'd always made her visits… interesting. She recalled the first time he'd invited her to hang around for a bit. He'd packed his bong and was playing an old Grateful Dead song on the guitar. After each hit he took, he'd try to sing an entire verse of lyrics without releasing the smoke he had in his lungs. Maggie couldn't help but laugh at his sad attempts as she smoked with him and sang along.

But Kevin dealt in some pretty hardcore stuff, as the stash in their bags easily proved, and pot eventually became a smaller part of his business. Sometimes he'd be dry and she'd have to go elsewhere.

Her other guy, where her and Hal were now headed, she'd found him through a couple of guys she'd gone to school with. And this guy—she never did actually learn his name—he was no-nonsense. She was always in and out fast, which she liked, but the way he looked at her, it just creeped her out. And there were always guys hanging around the house—sorters, runners, lower level dealers, and eventually, _him_.

Maggie may have started smoking pot to ease the nausea caused by her cancer, but by the time she'd met _him_, the cancer had been long gone. That didn't stop Maggie from keeping up her weekly visits though. The world was simply too bright and the dingy house filled with degenerates offered her a much needed respite. The day she walked in and _he_ was sitting there, arm carelessly slung over the back of the couch, smug half smile on his face, cigarette hanging out of his mouth, she was inexplicably drawn to him. It was like gravity was pulling her directly towards him, and from day one, he seemed to know exactly what she needed…

Maggie let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding and laughed. Now was definitely not the time to go there. That part of her life was long gone, and it didn't do to dwell on what she couldn't change. Plus they were just about there anyway.

She hooked a right and started counting the houses. Hal was close behind. Eight in on the left and she pulled into the driveway. They parked their bikes and Maggie motioned to the back of the house.

"We go in through the basement," she offered as she pulled out her flashlight and handed Hal one of her guns. They moved quickly and quietly around the back of the house and down a flight of stairs to the basement door. It was slightly ajar.

As she toed the door open, the musty smell quickly invaded her nostrils. It was that damp basement smell and… something else. She looked back at Hal and watched him wrinkle his nose.

"What's that smell?" he whispered.

"No idea," Maggie replied. "My guess? Whatever it is, it's not gonna be pretty."

Guns and flashlights pointed forward, they entered.

Maggie and Hal swept the room with their flashlights. The same raggedy couch was still there she noticed. The bar, complete with broken beer signs and the tattered dartboard still loomed in the shadowed corner. She headed towards the bar, stepped behind it and looked underneath. She'd seen the guy grab the key from beneath the bar a thousand times, and like clockwork, it was hanging on a rusted hook, right where she thought it'd be.

She held it up, showing it to Hal. He just stared at her, a dumbfounded look on his face. She could only imagine what he must think about all this. But that was a can of worms she wasn't ready to open.

She dropped the canvas bag she was carrying next to the bar and motioned for Hal to do the same.

"This way," she said, as she headed towards a door at the far end of the room. As they neared, the smell grew stronger.

She inserted the key in the deadbolt and turned it. The click echoed in the silence. Maggie let go of the key, turned the handle and pulled open the door.

The stench was instantly overwhelming. She turned her head and started coughing immediately, motioning Hal to back up. She saw the moment it hit him. Seconds later he too was choking, trying to catch is breath.

Maggie wiped the tears from her eyes, pulled her shirt up over her nose and mouth, pulled the door the rest of the way open and shined her flashlight into the dank room.

That's when she saw him. Laying in the middle of the floor. Badly decomposed, almost beyond recognition. Almost.

"What is it?" Hal asked, fanning the air in front of his face while he tried to stop coughing. "Is it a person?"

Maggie just stared.

"No," she finally answered looking back at Hal, shirt still covering her face. "It's a dog."

Hal moved in for a closer look, adding the shine of his light to hers. Near the remnants of the dog were two large bags of dog food that'd been ripped open—bits of kibble were still strewn about. Several large bowls lay next to the bags, they'd presumably held water at one point. Piles of feces and dried spots of urine also littered the floor.

"His name was Max," Maggie offered. "They must have locked him in here when the invasion happened. Door hasn't been opened since."

Maggie remembers the dog being friendly enough. She'd even joked with _him_ that Max was a terrible guard dog because all he ever did was play with everyone who stopped by.

Again she pushed those thoughts down and got back to the task at hand. She used her light to scan the room, which was relatively empty, save for the dog and a few bins in the back corner.

Sidestepping around the mess that covered the floor she made her way to the bins. She pulled one off the other and she and Hal each pulled the tops off. There wasn't much left, but they found more of the same. A few kilos of coke, some random bottles of pills. More weed. She dumped the contents of her bin into his and grabbed her gun and his flashlight from his hands. He picked up the bin and followed her out.

She shut and locked the door behind her and returned the key to its rightful place as Hal transferred the contents of the bin to their bags. Wasting no time, they hefted the bags onto their backs and made their way back up the stairs.

Maggie took several deep breaths once they'd reached the top of the stairs. She didn't think she'd ever get the smell out of her nose. When they'd both caught their breath Maggie headed back towards the front of the house.

"Maggie," Hal started, close on her heels.

"Just…" she paused, turning to look at him, "let's just get this stuff back to Dr. Glass, okay?"

Hal shook his head with a frustrated sigh but he didn't push. Something she greatly appreciated. She knew if she stuck with the 2nd Mass like she hoped to, she'd have to share some of herself eventually. Maybe it'd be with Hal, maybe it wouldn't. But for now, there were more important things. And Maggie was all about taking it one step at a time.

She smiled at him in thanks, hoping it conveyed her appreciation, and continued on towards the driveway.

They hopped on their bikes and started their engines, cutting into the silent stillness surrounding them. She let Hal take the lead out of the driveway, but after one last look at the house, quickly caught up and fell in by his side.

About a mile in she could sense his stare. She glanced his way and caught the challenge in his eyes.

She couldn't help but smile as she nodded, pressed on the gas, and dug in. She almost felt bad about leaving him in the dust. Almost.

Together, they raced back to the school.


	5. Silent Kill

**Chapter 5 – "Silent Kill"**

Maggie found herself sitting on the floor in the hall a little ways down from the entrance to Command. Her, Anthony and Dai had just finished debriefing with Weaver. Having been the one who'd entered the hospital with Tom, Maggie had done most of the talking. When she finished recounting the mission, Weaver seemed satisfied with how thing went down, and even surprised Maggie by commending her for her quick thinking.

After Weaver's dismissal, Dai and Anthony mentioned heading to the gym to grab something to eat, but with the adrenaline from the past couple of hours finally wearing off, Maggie didn't make it that far.

The hallways were pretty quiet at this time of night. The few fighters that patrolled the main corridors barely acknowledged her presence as they ambled slowly by. When the echoes of their footfalls faded, Maggie found herself surrounded by nothing but simple silence.

The cold metal of the lockers behind her slowly seeped into her skin. A thousand lockers for a thousand lost souls—a thousand time capsules that would never be opened again. Their lives and hers forever separated by a three-digit combination. Maggie briefly wondered what she might find if she took the time to look inside.

She imagined the kids as they filled their book bags between classes. Shouts of laughter would've filled the bright hallways—this was once a good place, a safe place. Now it was dark and dank, the strategically placed lanterns and candles cast eerie shadows up and down the corridor. Maggie didn't know why cheerful places like schools and hospitals looked so damned creepy when the lights went out, but they did, plain and simple. She noticed it now, and she'd noticed it while walking through the hospital hallways just a few short hours ago.

Being back in that hospital had been so surreal for Maggie. Even when such a pivotal part of your life is spent in a certain place, as time passes, the moments and the days spent there seem to become a fuzzy blend of no beginning and no end. But the moment her and Tom approached that locker room door, it had all come back into sharp focus.

A few cigarette butts still littered the ground amongst the leaves that crunched under their feet—smashed and disintegrated nearly beyond recognition. Maggie could almost smell the smoke that had twirled lazily into the sky on all those hazy days as the nurses grabbed their 10 minutes of 'fresh air' with their feet up and their guard down.

Menthol 100's seemed to be their smoke of choice, Maggie swallowed back the urge to gag just thinking about the taste. She of course had to give them a go to satisfy her curiosity when she'd finally been released by way of remission, but smoking cigarettes was never really her thing. She never knew then why the nurses let her hang out with them while she was stuck there, she'd just figured it'd been because she was so much older than the other kids trapped in the same hell as she.

Because she was 16 when she was first diagnosed, Maggie was relegated to the pediatric and adolescent cancer ward. The floor, which housed newborns to 18-year olds, seemed to be filled with mostly babies and toddlers during her first stay. There was a crop of grammar school aged kids, and one 14-year old named Tommy. But he didn't last past Maggie's first week.

On her good days she loved spending time with the kids, especially the ones who rarely had visitors, but sometimes it just became too much. It was hard to stay positive when death was always on your doorstep.

It was 'big-busted Bernice' (as the kids liked to call her) that first caught Maggie wandering the halls. Hospital life was usually good when Bernice was on duty. She was larger than life. Her bellowing laugh always filled the ward, her hugs were legendary and her sass was simply unmatched. Bernice called all the kids 'sugar', hell she even called most of the doctors and other nurses sugar too, but she always called Maggie 'sugar mama'. Maggie would roll her eyes, but secretly she loved it. One wink from Bernice could make or break Maggie's day.

Her first visit to the locker room had turned out to be a particularly good day. Bernice was on duty, the surgery Maggie had undergone last month had gone very well (though she didn't know at the time that it wouldn't be her last), her latest round of chemo was nine days gone, and she was feeling good enough to feel restless. Her meanderings brought her to the 'employees only' door on the first floor and she decided to stroll through. She could see sunshine underneath the door at the end of the hall marked 'women's locker room', and her nose touched upon a waft of cigarette smoke. Unconsciously her feet gravitated towards the door—Maggie couldn't remember the last time she'd been outside.

"Now where you think you goin' Sugar Mama," Bernice bellowed behind her.

Busted. Maggie froze, and turned slowly.

"Smoke break?" Maggie replied while shrugging her shoulders, attempting nonchalance.

Bernice stared at her for what felt like forever, then tisk-tisked and walked right on by. Maggie just stood there not sure what to do, watching as Bernice walked towards the door at the end of the hall.

Just as she was about to enter, she turned.

"You comin'?" Bernice asked.

Maggie didn't need to be asked twice. It was all she could do to keep from sprinting down that hallway.

The months spent in, then out, then back in the hospital were rough to say the least, but those little locker room reprieves from the sterile world built up around her made Maggie feel almost normal. There, the nurses weren't poking and prodding, changing her IV, checking her blood pressure, or checking her tray to see what she ate or didn't eat. They joked, they laughed, and they filled her in on what was going on in the real world. And the best part—they treated her like an actual human being. Not a foreign object to be studied or stared at, or whispered about behind her back. Maggie realized now it was just what she'd needed to get through, and she would be forever grateful to Bernice for giving her that.

Patrol's next sweep down the hall brought Maggie back to the darkened hallway. She was exhausted, but knew she needed to eat something if she was going to be in decent shape for her shift tomorrow. Maggie pushed herself up and headed towards the gym.

A soft, rhythmic 'thwack' met her ears as she grew closer, and as she rounded the corner she found Hal on the floor, throwing a tennis ball against the lockers. She stopped for a moment and studied him.

He was covered in dirt and grime and she could see by the way he favored his arm after each throw that the skitter had done a number on his wrist. The fact that Hal had come out of that situation relatively unharmed and that they'd saved all those harnessed kids still amazed her. When Hal hadn't sent the signal, and when the mechs had changed their patrol, Maggie'd gotten a sick feeling in her stomach that Hal might not ever come out of that hospital again. And she'd seen too many people fail to make it out of there alive.

But they'd gotten out of there. And they'd saved Ben. Fate had definitely thrown them a favor tonight—more than one in fact.

Maggie attested it to the bond the Mason boys shared—a bond that she was continually in awe of. The love they had for each other, the sacrifices they were willing to make for one another…they gave Maggie a whole new perspective on the word family. And they made her realize how wrong she'd been to push her own away.

'Nope, not going to go there tonight,' she thought. Memory lane was officially closed. All she wanted now was a quick meal and a dreamless sleep. Her pity party for one would have to be postponed.

'Thwack', the ball hit the locker again as she continued walking towards Hal. She watched as he once again assessed his wrist. It wasn't until she was upon him that he glanced up, noticing her.

"You should get that hand looked at," Maggie said as she walked by.

"They're a little busy in there," he replied, nodding towards the science lab.

She nodded in return and kept walking.

"Hey um, thanks for what you did back there," Hal said, stopping her.

She turned and smiled. After everything he'd done for his family tonight, he was thanking her? Compared to him she'd done practically nothing. He really was something else.

"It was all your dad," she said, passing it off.

"He said that you knew a different way into the hospital," Hal said, not letting her slide off easy like she wanted to.

"Through the nurses locker room," Maggie relented. "I used to hang out with them during their cigarette breaks."

She could see his mind working at her remark.

"So, when you were visiting your aunt in the hospital, you were hanging out with the nurses?" Hal asked.

Maggie narrowed her eyes. Hal always had a way of asking innocent questions that really weren't so innocent.

'Just stay vague,' she thought to herself. He didn't need to be bothered with her sad story when he'd just narrowly escaped one of his own.

"Something like that," she replied.

"You know all the drug dealers in town, all the nurses in the hospital, you must have been one popular girl," Hal jested.

Maggie sighed. She considered just feeding him another line of bullshit, but after everything that'd happened to both of them tonight, she didn't have it in her heart to keep lying.

"I had cancer. When I was 16." There. She'd said it out loud. The truth.

She watched as his smile fell. Hal needed to work on his poker face.

"So, um," she laughed—her defense mechanism—if it's funny it can't be serious. Right?

"One of the doctors told me to smoke pot to, you know, for the nausea, whatever, and um, so I'd go to this guy's house and he would show off for me, I guess," no matter how hard she tried she couldn't stop smiling. "I don't know why, I wasn't looking so good in those days with the whole no hair…chemo…" Unconsciously she lifted her hand to her head, remembering what it felt like to run her palm over the smooth expanse of her skull…the scars that had been so very visible to every passerby…

"What kind of cancer?" Hal asked.

"Bad," she replied. Maggie wasn't intentionally dodging his question, but her emotions were getting the better of her and she didn't think she could handle another reprise of her sorry excuse for a life. "I had a 50/50 chance. Those odds… make you think differently," she said.

'Or make you not want to think at all,' she thought.

"I'm glad you made it," Hal responded.

Ever the polite Mason, she laughed and nodded. 'If only he really knew her, he might not be so glad,' she thought.

Feeling exposed she turned away and flipped up her hood.

'Hot meal, dreamless sleep, hot meal, dreamless sleep,' she repeated in her head as she continued on towards the gym.


	6. Sanctuary Part 1

**Chapter 6 – "Sanctuary Part 1"**

The mech attack had everyone on edge, and Hal was no exception. He had a sick feeling in his stomach that he couldn't shake. But after the relative peace they'd had lately, he figured it was only a matter of time before they'd once again be on the run.

Preparing for the impending attack had taken his mind off things somewhat—they had worked hard and fast all day to get the school battle ready. But now, knowing that a single mech/skitter patrol had the ability to breach the line, Hal realized just how quickly the school could be taken. The sick feeling in his stomach was back in full force, along with the familiar pangs of hunger. He knew most of the 2nd Mass had gathered in the gym after the attack, and figured there must be food out by now.

As he headed towards the gym he spotted Maggie leaving the chem lab.

"Hey Maggie," he shouted, getting her attention as he jogged towards her.

Maggie stopped and turned, her eyes fell on Hal and she nodded in his direction.

"Hey yourself," she replied when he reached her. "How's it going out there?"

Hal sighed. "We better hope the 3rd Mass shows up before the skitters and mechs do."

Maggie nodded in agreement.

They stood in silence for a beat, neither sure what to say to the other.

"Everything okay?" Hal then asked.

She looked at him quizzically.

"You were in with Dr. Glass?" he prompted, motioning towards the chem lab.

"Oh," she replied, smiling, "just checking in on Anne. After what happened yesterday morning I offered her some self-protection. We had a little target practice yesterday, but after the mech attack, I wanted to offer her another go at it. Don't know if she needs it though. She's actually a decent shot."

Hal smiled. "Well if anyone would know it'd be you."

Maggie laughed, shaking her head.

"Sun will be up soon," Hal mentioned as his gaze fell on the windows across the hall, and the courtyard beyond, still blanketed in darkness. "I'm headed to scrounge up some food," he continued, pointing down the hall towards the gym, "hungry?"

"I could eat," she replied and fell in beside him.

As they walked he asked her more about target practice. She joked that if he ever came face to face with Anne and only had his cross bow he'd be in trouble. He had to laugh at that. He was getting better, but he could definitely use more practice.

As they neared the gym Hal realized that this was the longest conversation they'd ever had. He decided he liked listening to her talk.

Upon entering the gym, the pair ran into Trevor and Goodman. The conversation quickly veered to battle plans.

As Hal gave them the rundown, out of the corner of his eye he caught Maggie scanning the room. Another thing he was learning to like about her was that she was always keeping an eye on what was going on.

The subject changed to upcoming shifts, but before he could answer Trevor's question about the day's century posts Hal was interrupted by a hand on his arm.

"I'm gonna go check on your brother," Maggie said as she walked away.

"Which one?" Hal asked, only then noticing the commotion going on behind him.

"The one that's about to get his ass kicked," she threw over her shoulder as she started walking faster.

Hal quickly assessed the situation. One of the civilians has his sights on Ben. 'This isn't good' Hal thought as he raced to catch up with Maggie.

Maggie got there first and stepped between Ben and…hell Hal didn't even know the guy's name. He needed to start paying better attention to the civilians of the 2nd Mass…especially those that were bigger than he.

"Hey, take what you want and go," he heard Maggie say as he pushed the guy away from his brother.

"You got a problem?" Hal asked.

"No problem," the guy said, while clearly still eyeing up Ben. "Just glad we're done bringing these harnessed kids back to the 2nd Mass."

Hal wasn't going to let that stand. Many of the parents still had kids that were either missing or harnessed. These people needed to know that they'd protect all of the kids in the 2nd Mass, harnessed or not.

"Oh, nobody's stopped anything." Hal threw back at him. "As soon as we get the drugs Dr. Glass needs we're going to rescue as many of them as we can."

"You're just inviting a skitter attack," he quickly retorted.

Hal had heard enough. Who was this guy to put ideas in these people's heads that they clearly didn't need.

He stepped towards the guy, getting right in his face, "see the skitters should know by now that anybody that messes with our families gets their ass kicked. By me." The adrenaline pumping through his system would have been enough to break the guy's face, but Hal knew a fight was the last thing anyone needed at the moment.

"Alright, alright," he said as he backed away.

Hal was glad this guy was smart enough to back down, but next time he knew he might not get so lucky.

He turned to find Ben and caught a glimpse of him walking out the gym doors. Beyond frustrated, he looked to Maggie and could see that she was feeling much of the same.

He walked towards her, "What the hell was that?" he asked her, arms open wide.

She pulled him away from the mass that had congregated around them. "Everyone's on edge Hal," she said, "the guy needed to blow off some steam and your brother was an easy target."

"But Ben has nothing to do with the attack…"

"Hey," Maggie cut him off which made Hal realize he was close to shouting.

He took a deep breath, tried to calm down.

"It wasn't that big of a leap," she said. "Things were relatively quiet until we rescued those kids…and now suddenly skitters and mechs are attacking us."

"So you agree with him?" Hal threw in her face.

The look she gave him made him feel like a jackass for even suggesting it. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.

"Just pretend for a second that he isn't your brother," she reasoned.

He knew what she was saying, he could see the way everyone looked at Ben, but that didn't make it right. He just tried to ignore it—tried to act normally so that Ben would feel normal. But Hal knew what everyone else knew—Ben wasn't normal.

He blew out a breath of air and sat down on a nearby table.

"Look, you're right, and I'm sorry," he said looking up at her.

She nodded, accepting his apology.

"It's just that…" he paused, still not sure how to explain things.

"What?" she asked, sitting down on the bench opposite him.

"There's something not right about Ben," he explained.

"How do you mean?" she asked.

He told her everything. He told her about the conversation he'd had with Dr. Glass, what he'd overheard Ben telling Matt about his time with the skitters, Ben's newfound strength and endurance—everything.

"I know that traumatic events can change a person," he said.

Maggie nodded, breaking eye contact with him for the first time since he'd started telling her about Ben. He was reminded of what she said about how her cancer had made her think differently. But Hal was convinced there was more to it with Ben.

"But I don't think that that is what's going on here. I think those spikes in his back are making him different—turning him into a different person somehow, but he won't talk to me about it. I don't know what to do."

Hal felt defeated. He wanted to help Ben but he didn't know how. Hal was grateful that Maggie had been smart enough to keep an eye out for trouble and that they'd been there to defend him, but what if they weren't so lucky next time?

The worry must have been written all over his face because he watched Maggie's features soften as she laid her hand on his arm.

"Hal all you can do is…"

"Hey Maggie. Hal."

The pair looked up and Hal smiled at the heavily pregnant Sarah who had approached the table.

"Hey, Sarah," Hal watched Maggie reply with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Not bad," Sarah replied. "I have an appointment with Dr. Glass this morning and wanted to see if you might go with me."

"Sure thing," Maggie replied.

Hal was content to listen as the pair chatted about the upcoming delivery. While she was clearly worried, Sarah also seemed genuinely happy and excited about her baby. It was nice to see a bit of optimism amongst all the fear and apprehension that currently clouded their little community. But Sarah had a tough road ahead of her. It was going to be hard for her to protect her baby in the world they had now. But Hal could see that she was tough and that she'd do whatever she could to give her baby a good life. Just like he'd do whatever he could to make sure Ben had a good life with the 2nd Mass.

His dad's voice broke him out of his revere.

"Everybody," Tom shouted, "I've decided to send Matt and Ben along with Lieutenant Clayton."

Hal stood up, immediately concerned. 'Why is dad sending them?' he wondered. After all they did to get Ben back, Hal couldn't believe that his father would separate them again.

He listened as his dad explained, and as he and Clayton argued logistics with the civilians. Rationally and logically it seemed sending the kids ahead was the best choice, but deep down Hal just didn't agree with it.

After the announcement he met his dad's stare, and stepped towards him, intent on asking what was going on, but Clayton and the others quickly swept Tom out of the gym before they had a chance to talk.

Hal turned back to Maggie and Sarah, "I'm going to go find Ben," he said, "thanks for everything Maggie."

She smiled and nodded.

He smiled in return then left the gym.

* * *

Ben wasn't in their room so Hal headed outside. He found him sitting in the morning sun on one of the stoops out front, staring at a familiar photograph.

"That Six Flags?" Hal asked. "Where'd you get that?" They had very few photographs from before, and it was a surprise to see one now, especially one that had his mom in it.

"Had it on me when the skitters took me," Ben replied. "They didn't take it. I forgot I even had it. Remember that day?"

Did he remember it? How could he forget it. "I remember you threw up on me."

Ben laughed.

"Then Matt threw up on me," he continued. "It's one of the most memorable days of my life."

"At least dad didn't throw up on you," Ben offered, still laughing.

"Yeah he was looking a little green on the Super Sonic," Hal said. Until that moment he'd forgotten about that day. Matt was so excited to go to the amusement park because he was finally tall enough to ride on the 'big kid' rides. However they quickly learned that the Mason stomachs were anything but stomachs of steel—at least where spinning rides were concerned. But as gross as it had been at the time, now, Hal wouldn't trade that day for anything.

"You look like her," Ben said, holding up the photo.

Hal took it, studied it.

"That's what everybody always said," he replied while shaking his head.

"Take it," Ben offered.

"Why?" Hal asked surprised by the offer, only because he wasn't sure he'd give it up if he'd had it first.

"Hold onto it for me…till you come back for us," Ben replied, and walked away before Hal could say anything else.

Hal watched him leave, and then looked back at the photo. He sat down on the ledge where Ben had been a moment ago. Seeing his mom again, he realized his mental picture of her had become fuzzy. He'd forgotten the exact color of her hair, the goofy smile she'd put on whenever one of them wasn't feeling well. Her knowing gaze—the one that told him she never missed anything.

She could always see how different Hal and Ben were, and she had the patience of a saint for putting up with their constant bickering. The one thing she never stopped telling Hal was that one day, things would be different. The fighting would stop and they'd appreciate each other for who they were.

This might not have been exactly what she had in mind, but Hal knew she was right. Ben was different. Different from him, and different from the kid he used to be before he was harnessed. But he was still his brother. Hal needed to stop the fighting and do a better job of looking out for him.

"Whatcha got there?" Hal looked up at the sound of Maggie's voice.

"Old family photo," Hal responded, handing it to Maggie. "Ben had it on him, told me to keep it until we meet up with them again. It might be the only photo we have left that has all five of us in it."

Maggie sat down next to him and studied the photo. "You look like your mom," she said.

Hal just laughed.

She smiled in return, "heard that before?"

"Once or twice," he joked.

He looked at the photo over her shoulder. "One of the last things my mom told me was that Ben and I were always going to be different, but that we needed to start putting our differences behind us. That we needed to start looking out for each other."

His eyes pulled away from the photo and took in the scene surrounding them. Parents and kids were already starting to gather on the front lawn. He looked back at the photo.

"I just don't understand why my dad would send Ben and Matt ahead. I don't know why he'd separate us like that."

"Maybe you should go with them," Maggie suggested.

His eyes found hers. "I can't say the thought hasn't crossed my mind, but what about everyone here? If Clayton is right, we need as many people on the line as we can get."

"That's true," she nodded, "but what does your gut tell you?" she asked as she handed him back the photo.

His eyes were once again drawn to his mother.

"Just…do yourself a favor and think about it," Maggie said as she stood up.

He nodded.

"Gotta run,' Maggie said then, making her way towards the door. "I'm late for my OB/GYN appointment," she threw over her shoulder.

He shook his head and laughed, watching as she made her way inside.

Before reaching the door she suddenly turned, "be safe Hal," she said.

He smiled, "you too," he offered back.

She returned his smile and disappeared inside.

Hal put the photo in his jacket pocket and stood. If he was going, he needed to get more ammo…and something to eat.


	7. Sanctuary Part 2

**Author's Note:** I am usually one for letting stories speak for themselves, but in this case I wanted to point out a slight error of mine. After writing Chapter 6, I went back and re-watched the episode again and realized that I was way off on the time of day in which the parts of the episode I chose to write about took place. So I re-wrote parts of the chapter to more accurately reflect what actually happened in the episode. I re-posted the new chapter about three days after the original posting. The changes are relatively minor and don't affect the character development that I've established so far. So feel free to go back for a second read, or simply continue on. And as always, thanks for reading!

* * *

**Chapter 7 – "Sanctuary Part 2"**

With Sarah's successful delivery behind them, Weaver called for a briefing in Command. Maggie wanted to get there early to ask about Tom and Dai, and was almost there when someone came tearing down the hall behind her, knocking her into the lockers. As she straightened up, a few choice expletives on the tip of her tongue, she realized it was Ben, followed closely by Dai. The words died on her lips as she ran after them, entering Command a few steps behind.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down now," Weaver was saying to Ben as she entered.

Ben paused for a moment and started again. "Clayton tricked us."

"What do you mean tricked us?" Weaver asked, looking from Ben to Dai. Dai just shrugged and nodded towards Ben.

Weaver focused his attention back on Ben as Maggie moved further into the room. "He didn't take us to keep us safe."

"What are you talking about?" Weaver asked. "The orders were…"

"Whatever he said was a lie!" Ben interjected.

"Watch it now son," Weaver warned.

Putting up his hands in defense, Ben took a deep breath and continued, "he didn't take us to protect us from the skitters, he took us because he was going to give us _to_ the skitters."

Weaver shook his head, "that makes no sense."

It did though, Maggie thought to herself as she listened to them continue to argue. Clayton was smooth about it, sure, but why would the 2nd Mass doubt him? He said he'd received his orders from Porter—who were any of them to question that? Not to mention, the 2nd Mass was ripe with skitter bait.

"Look, I don't know everything," Ben relented, "all I know is that if Mike and Hal hadn't gotten us out of there when they did…" he paused, "we…we think Mike is dead," Ben said, his eyes finding his shoes.

Weaver perked up at that news.

"They were after us, shooting at us, but he stayed… and we got away. But Clayton and his men passed me when I doubled back for help," Ben continued. "They're still after us."

Maggie knew Hal would do what he could to keep those kids safe, but if Clayton had the manpower he told the 2nd Mass he had, and if Mike really was dead, unless they were well hidden, Hal and those kids wouldn't stand a chance.

"So what do you want me to do?" asked Weaver. "Weaken our already meager defense here? This attack could hit at any moment."

"We have to do something," Ben pleaded.

Weaver sat, thinking, but Maggie was pretty sure she had it all figured out. Live with a band of cons long enough and you start to think like them.

"What if there is no attack. What if it was all part of his con?" Maggie offered.

"What do you mean?" Weaver asked.

"If you're in deep with the skitters, kids are valuable currency," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "They send a single mech/skitter unit to attack us, put us on edge, and we hand the kids over without question. While we're here protecting the school, the kids are sitting ducks."

Dai nodded, agreeing. "Tom seemed to think this was pretty serious."

With a heavy sigh Weaver turned back to Ben, "So what are we supposed to do?"

* * *

After Ben and Dai relayed Tom's message, Weaver called the fighters in for a briefing. Those that had sent their kids on ahead were not happy to hear that they'd been duped. But Weaver convincingly assured them that they'd do whatever it took to get the kids back where they belonged.

After the meeting, the remaining fighters formulated a modified defense plan in case the attack wasn't another part of Clayton's ruse.

Maggie ended up trading her spot on the recovery mission for Neil's century duty. He was too anxious about his son's safe return to stand guard, so she offered to take his place. She was worried too, but the impending attack couldn't be completely dismissed—they needed focus on the line.

The night came and went without an attack. Shortly before sunrise Maggie took up position on the roof. Once there, time seemed to stand still. The more slowly the minutes ticked by, the more anxious she became. But six hours in she saw their plan had paid off. The tension left her body as she caught the first glimpse of the rescued group walking down the road.

Parents, family and friends all poured out of the school as the kids shuffled wearily over the lawn. The mood turned instantly festive. There were hugs, kisses, smiles, laughter—it was the reunion they'd all hoped for. It made Maggie smile.

As she scanned the crowd, her eyes landed on Hal, sandwiched between his brothers and father. It was good to see them back in one piece.

Maggie watched as parent after parent thanked the Mason's, particularly Hal. He was making quite a name for himself—rescuing harnessed kids, saving some of the 2nd Mass' youngest members from dirty skitter deals—he was becoming a real celebrity. She'd have to give him a hard time about it the next time they were on patrol.

Suddenly, she realized he was staring at her. Amongst all the chaos he'd somehow managed to spot her on the roof. He lifted his hand to wave, half-smile on his face.

'How long has he been staring at me, staring at him,' she wondered as she shook her head, lifted her hand and smiled back.

After the group made its way safely inside she looked at her watch. Only an hour and 45 minutes left in her shift. Taking up position, Maggie's eyes found the horizon once again.

* * *

Finding himself surprisingly full, Hal leaned back in his chair. To say the gym was chaotic would be an understatement, but spirits hadn't been this high in a long time, so he couldn't really complain.

Sitting here with everyone back safe, Hal still couldn't get his mind around the drastic turn the past few days had taken. In his wildest dreams he'd never imagined that humans would actually help the skitters. And to think what could have happened if he hadn't gone along…he couldn't even finish the thought.

But somehow it had all worked out. Not to say there weren't any casualties. Hal's throat tightened just thinking about what Mike had done to save them.

He'd walked Weaver his dad through what had happened on their way back from Sanctuary, but it was merely the facts—what had happened, how they'd escaped, the route they'd taken, the time spent at each location. But now that they were back, the danger they'd been in—how close they'd come to being traded to the skitters—it was hard to think about all of it. Not to mention the part Mike played in their escape. His eyes stung slightly at the mere memory of that moment—and the single shot that had rung out shortly after. If Maggie were here she'd probably tell him to suck it up, the thought of which made him smile.

He looked at his watch—they'd been back for about an hour. He wondered if she was still on duty. He wanted to grab a few hours of sleep but decided to swing by her room first. If she was done, he wanted to tell her about the memorial service they were having that evening for Mike.

He got up from his chair and laid his hand on his dad's shoulder.

"I'm going to go lay down for a bit before the service," he said, then picked up his empty dishes.

"Sounds good," Tom replied smiling.

Hal dropped off his plate and headed out of the gym.

* * *

Maggie had to give those regularly posted on the roof credit. She'd had her fair share of century posts, but usually it was roaming the halls or sitting on what used to be the old school bus parked out back. Her legs ached from hours of standing still, and despite it being the middle of the day, her bed was beckoning.

She'd just left the science lab, not thrilled that Pope was back, but happy to see both Sarah and Charlotte were doing well. As she rounded the last corner that led to her room she stopped short. Hal was on the floor outside her door, knees bent, arms draped over his legs, his head resting against the lockers with his eyes closed and mouth slightly open. He looked like he was sleeping.

She approached slowly as not to startle him, but even with her footsteps echoing down the deserted hall he didn't budge. She crouched down in front of him.

"Hal," she whispered as she gently shook his knee. Nothing. "HAL," she said more loudly, instantly startling him awake.

He sat up fast, wide-eyed, and looked around, trying to figure out where he was. She saw recognition enter his eyes as his gaze finally settled on her kneeling in front of him.

"Hey there," she said lightly.

"Maggie, hey," he replied as he slumped back down against the wall. She didn't miss the tension that had been in his shoulders as he'd struggled to orient himself with his surroundings just a second ago.

"What time is it?" he asked as he yawned and rubbed his eyes, oblivious to the watch on his wrist.

"It's just after two," she replied. "Why are you sleeping on the floor?" she asked as she stood up.

He shrugged. "I wasn't sure what time your shift was over," he explained, "I swung by to see if you were here to tell you about the memorial service for Mike tonight. My next stop was my room, but I guess I ended up sitting down instead."

She frowned, then held out her hand. He grabbed it and pulled himself up.

"When's the last time you slept?" she asked as she opened her door.

He stretched his arms over his head, yawned again and smiled, "it's been awhile."

She shook her head and laughed as he followed her inside.

As she shrugged off her coat, and unholstered her guns and placed them on the table next to her cot, he took a seat on the couch that he'd helped her drag down from the teacher's lounge a few days ago. She watched silently as he laid his head against the cushions, let out a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"So what happened?" she asked as she sat down next to him. She'd gotten the gist of it from Neil when he'd come up to thank her for taking his shift, but she wanted to hear it from Hal.

He opened his eyes and turned his head to look at her. She could see it all in his eyes, plain as day—the helplessness, the fear, the sadness…

He took a shaky breath, "I…" he started as his hand rubbed across his forehead. He stared at her for a few seconds, shook his head, "it was…" he tried to say something, anything, instead he just bowed his head and closed his eyes, breathing deeply.

She could tell he was trying to be strong and she admired him for it. But she also knew what it was like to see—to experience—the absolute worst in humanity—and to have no one to turn to. Part of what made him who he was—part of what she admired most about him—was his undying optimism. She didn't know where it came from, but it was a strength of his—one that the 2nd Mass couldn't afford to lose.

"When Pope and his gang grabbed me…well let's just say the situation wasn't ideal," she offered. He opened his eyes and turned his head to stare at her.

At first she smiled, trying to make light of it, but then she realized he wasn't looking at her like everyone else looked at her when someone brought up her time with Pope—there was no pity in his eyes, just curiosity and honest sympathy.

She took a deep breath and continued, "The things they did to me," she glanced away briefly but made her eyes return to his, "in situations like that you see humanity at its worst."

He nodded silently, agreeing with her.

"It almost doesn't seem real at first. But then it keeps happening," she paused, trying to keep her emotions in check, "and all of the sudden you find yourself accepting that that's the way things are. You start looking at things differently—thinking about things differently. You let it change you. And that's hard to come back from."

He stared at her for a long moment, taking in her words. She pulled her legs up to her chest, suddenly feeling vulnerable under his open gaze.

"Don't take this the wrong way," he finally responded, "because I'm glad that you are, but why are you telling me this?"

She smiled softly. "You've been through some pretty horrific stuff lately Hal, hell we all have."

"Yeah," he breathed out on a laugh.

"But when I was with Pope, it was just me. Here? It's not just you. All I'm trying to say is that you're not alone. If you want, you can talk about it, talk about anything—with me—with someone else. Just…don't hold things in. You don't have to carry it all on your own."

At that he bowed his head and rubbed at his eyes. "Sorry," he whispered.

"Don't be," she said as she unfolded her leg and nudged his knee with her foot.

She smiled when his eyes once again found hers, "now tell me what happened."

* * *

He started at the beginning. He told her about when they'd first arrived at Sanctuary. How normal it'd been—playing games, cooking in an actual kitchen, eating at a proper table. In hindsight he saw how 'too good to be true' it really was.

When he got to their escape, he gave her all the details. Trying to leave the house undetected, getting caught, running for their lives, Mike saving them all.

"I didn't want to leave him. I didn't," Hal said, "but they were closing in fast. When he was saying goodbye to Rick…it was like I already knew. I knew that we'd never see him again and I didn't want to get up. But the way he looked at me, with a father's eyes, I could see my own father in his stare. And I knew I couldn't let it be for nothing. So I grabbed Rick and we ran."

Throughout his explanation Maggie had been silent, just listening to what he was saying.

"Rick and I caught up with the rest of the kids in the woods. We could hear shouting and shooting as we were running, and then…"

He paused, his eyes left hers and found the ceiling. After a moment he looked back at her, found her simply waiting.

"And then a single shot rang out," he shook his head at the memory. "Rick and I just…we just stopped and looked at each other. We knew. We knew he was gone. Rick was looking back but we couldn't go back, so I pushed him forward."

Hal finished the story, told her about the house, how they'd been surrounded, how Tom had come and leveraged himself to keep the kids safe. Even how Clayton had pulled a gun on him when they're returned to Sanctuary, right before Tom had shot him.

"Jeez Hal," she'd said to that. "How many lives do you have?"

"I wish I knew," he laughed in response.

When all was said and done, he had to admit Maggie was right, it was better to talk about it. Saying everything out loud helped, and he found himself in a better mood because of it.

He'd sat with her for a few more minutes, she filled him in on Sarah's miraculous delivery. Hal couldn't believe that Weaver had had a hand in it. Then he'd left to try to get some sleep.

But when he returned to his room he didn't find it. His mind simply wouldn't stop spinning. Eventually Tom had come in to get him and together they'd headed outside.

* * *

As they walked down the front steps of the school, the sun was just getting ready to set. It felt warm on Hal's face as he walked side by side with his father. A crowd had already gathered near the spot they'd chosen.

As he took it all in, Hal thought Mike would have liked it. It was as true to a soldier's burial as it could be. Someone had built a marker with Mike's name on it—Neil and Dai were even holding an American flag.

Weaver was already standing nearest to Mike's grave. Hal and Tom walked up to stand on either side of him.

The murmur of voices surrounding them quieted. After a few moments of silence, Hal felt like someone should say something—and he felt like that someone should be him.

"I'd like to say something if that's okay," Hal said to Tom and Weaver. The surprise on Tom's face didn't escape Hal, but he masked it quickly.

"I think that's a great idea," Tom said. "Why don't you get things started."

Hal nodded and walked to the front of Mike's grave, staring down at the mound of fresh earth as he passed, thinking about those last moments—how Mike didn't hesitate for a second—how deciding to stay to fight really wasn't a decision at all.

Hal lifted his head and scanned the crowd. They were all looking at him expectantly. Not exactly sure what to say, he just started talking.

"Mike was a good man," he began, "a good father," he added as his eyes fell on Rick. "You could tell from being around him how much he loved Rick."

Hal thought again about how quickly Mike had given his own life to save the rest. How other members of the 2nd Mass before him had done the same, and how still more would meet the same fate in the future, all in the name of resistance—of hope. And then he thought about how many chose to take a different path. To run and hide, or worse, to help the enemy.

"Like all of us here today he was faced with a decision. He could have run, and saved himself… " Hal paused as his eyes drifted down to Mike's grave, his throat tightening, but suddenly he found himself filled with pride, "instead… he stood his ground and fought for us," he said, lifting his head. "I'm going to miss him." He spread his arms wide, including everyone, "we're going to miss him."

Finished, Hal returned to his spot next to Weaver. As his father moved to address the crowd, he felt fingers entwining with his own. He looked down to see Maggie's hand enveloping his, and glanced up and caught her stare. With reassurance in her eyes she squeezed his hand. He squeezed hers back.

Hal held tight to Maggie's hand through the rest of the service. Having her next to him, being surrounded by the 2nd Mass, he sent up a silent prayer of thanks. They'd lost so much, lost so many good people. But they weren't giving up. They'd never give up.

When the crowd started to take their leave, he nudged Maggie's arm.

"Heading back inside?" he asked.

"Eventually," she replied. "I'm going to stay a minute longer though."

He nodded, "Do you want me to stay?"

"Nah," she replied. "Go grab some sleep. We have patrol first thing tomorrow. It'd be nice if you were actually awake for it."

He laughed softly. "Thanks Maggie," he offered catching and holding her gaze. He hoped she knew what he was thanking her for.

She nodded and returned his smile.

He squeezed her hand once more before he let her fingers fall from his.

He could feel her eyes on him as he walked inside and it felt good knowing he had someone looking out for him, watching his back.

Despite his exhaustion, and their early start, he was suddenly looking forward to patrol.


End file.
